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127
Noise.
The noise nuisance in cities is by no means a new evil. "Staple Inn," wrote
Dickens, "is one of those nooks the turning into which from the dashing street
imparts to the relieved pedestrian the sensation of having put cotton wool in his
ears and velvet soles on his boots."
To-day the volume of traffic down the main thoroughfares of London is vastly
increased; in 1930 there are, fortunately or unfortunately, conditions new to Charles
Dickens, which add to the complexity of life and incidentally increase its noisiness.
Harley Street, a relatively quiet place, at any rate up to the present, is objecting
to unnecessary noise: it prevents them getting on with their work.
Last year and now the possibility of legislative action to mitigate the nuisance
caused by noise has been much discussed, and is being discussed, in administrative
circles and in technical journals, engineering and medical—the "Lancet" has
dealt with it: the importance of excessive noise and general interest taken, in the
possibility of it being reduced are also reflected in the morning and evening
newspapers.
Additional evidence of the seriousness of the nuisance, if any were wanted, is
the amount of attention that has been devoted to the matter not only here but
also in Germany, Canada, and the United. States of America. In New York City
medical research has brought out fresh evidence on the deleterious effects of noise.
The Medical Noise Abatement Sub-Committee, appointed by the Health Commissioner
(Dr. Shirley W. Wynne), has found definite proof that noise causes
considerable disturbance to t he mechanism of the human body as evidenced by an
increased pulse rate, increased blood pressure, and irregularities in the rhythm of
the heart; these produce increase of pressure in the brain. This is by no means
all the story: among other effects is interference with the metabolism of the body,
the building up of the body from the intake of food is hindered.
These scientific findings have influenced the minds of technical men, the
demand of the people that there shall be less noise has turned the mind of engineers
and workers towards the production of less noisy machinery and vehicles; they are
learning the needlessness of noise and, it may be, the costliness of noise. Administrative
action has followed: inter alia, the nuisance arising from radio loud-speakers
is being brought under control by local legislation. Henceforth, in New York City,
no sound-producing apparatus will be allowed to disturb the quiet or repose of
persons in its vicinity, and the use of loud-speakers or other amplifying devices is
forbidden in any public street or place without a permit from the police commissioner,
or in any case within 250 feet of a school, court-house, church, or hospital
during the hours when these places are in use.
In these islands some local authorities in England and Wales have extensive
powers designed to prevent nuisance from noise. At Edinburgh valuable progress
has been made by the provisions of Section 34 of the Edinburgh Corporation Order
Confirmation Act, 1930.
The section is as follows:—
34 (1) A noise shall be liable to be dealt with summarily in the manner provided in
Part II of the Public Health (Scotland) Act, in the same way and to the same effect as in
cases under Sub-Section (6) of Section 16 of that Act, and the Corporation shall have all